For the most part, we usually have pretty nice weather for our trips. Even in January and February, the sun is out and the temperatures are decent. Of course there are exceptions, and this trip started out just as that. After meeting up for breakfast in Pleasanton, the skies opened up and it POURED for most of the drive to Hollister. After we aired down, the rain let up and finally stopped around noon.

Brent from San Ramon was one of the new faces

The sluice obstacle was nice and slippery

Time to hit the frame twister

 With some throttle, I managed to make it through the frame twister. It was slippery as ever and the logs were all dug out. Bill tried his luck after me and didn't get too far. He finished chopping 20" off his bed and wheel base just hours before the trip, and we were all wondering how he would've fared with 20 more inches of wheelbase. Eventually it took Don and Damon pulling together to get him free. Once cleared, Don made it through the frame twister, loving life now that he is locked both front and rear.

  Dave worked up the cajones to take on the Mini Rubicon after some of the early Broncos made their way over the rocks. Just getting down the road to the rocks turned out to be quite a procedure.

Everything was going well. We only needed to stack a few rocks and there was only minimal grinding of steel on rock. On the last rock, climbing off the pile, the loud *SNAP* that translates into "$$$$" echoed off the hills and ATF came pouring out of the power steering box. After winching off and getting the truck to level ground, we found the input yoke on the steering box had broken.

 While Dave and Mark set to work putting the steering box, I was playing on the concrete stair steps that a jeeper was overly proud of conquering. I did it going forward, then to show off, I threw it into reverse and made it up. The only problem was that I was too far to one side and had to start over. In the process of starting over, I heard that same *SNAP* Dave heard. Sure enough, the driver's side front axle was mangled. I parked next to Dave and got my spare shaft in while Don took Dave and Mark to a local NAPA to get a new steering box.